Garment fitting device



March 14, 1939. R C WELCH' 2,150,305

GARMENT FITTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25,y 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l WML@ , ATTOR EY5 March 14, 1939. R c. WELCH 2,150,305

l GARMENT FITTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-snee*- 2 INVENTOR I BY Ray C. Welch ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to garment fitting' devices and more particularly to devices for measuring a basic pattern for an individual.

Instead of measuring the person to be fitted, as is customary when a tape measure is employed, the present invention has for one of its principal objects tomeasure the basic pattern o-f a garment which will t the person. This is accomplished principally by fitting to the person a device which is calibrated to measure not only the. basic distances between different points but also the several basic angles. It is apparent that a garment constructed from a pattern laid out according to such measurements must necessarily fit substantially perfectly.

According to another important feature of the invention means are provided to locate a fixed reference on the body of a person to be measured from which measurements are taken. I have found that a cord or the like drawn around the neck and passed under the arm pits will locate the base line of the neck accurately so that a point at Ithe center of the neck on such a line is the nape of the neck.

A cord of this type may serve as a support for a sheet adapted to overlie. the back of the person to be tted and which is preferably formed of panels adjustably securedv together so that they may be adjusted to persons having different sized necks. A similarly formed sheet is adapted to overlie the front of the person and the two sheets are secured together by suitable pivotal fastenings at the sides of the persons neck. Both sheets are formed with extending portions which are adapted to overlap on the persons shoulders and which are suitably calibrated to measure the slope, angle and length of the shoulders. Other measurements are taken from scales marked on other parts of the sheets, supplemented if desired by measurements with a tape.

After the measurements have all been taken, a basic pattern may be laid out in accordance with the measured lengths and angles and a garment cut to such a pattern insures a substantially perfect fit.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be appar-ent from the following description when read in connection With the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a View of a garment fitting device laid out vflat with the several parts disconnected;

Figures y2 and 3 are rear and front views re.- spectively illustrating the device of Figure l applied to a person; andV Y 4Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating the manner of laying out a basic pattern according to the invention.

As best seen in Figure l, the garment fitting device is formed of a back sheet made up of a center panel 6 and side panels 8 and Iii and a 5 front sheet made up of a center panel I2 and side panels I4 and I6. Each o-f the side panels carries a series of strips I8 of Celluloid or the like: and each center panel carries a matching series of projecting strips 20. The strips 2D are T- shaped to carry suitable clamping members indicated generally at 22 which engage the strips IB thereby adjustably to connect the side panels to the `center panel.

The side panels 8 and I0 are provided with projecting tabs 24 carrying halves of suitable snap fasteners or the like at 26 and the side panels I4 and I6 have similar tabs 28 carrying the complementary halves o-f the fasteners 25 at 30. Preferably the fasteners 26 and 3l! are such as Ito form a pivotal connection and I have found that ordinary snap fasteners are suitable for this purpose. f

The center panel 6 is calibrated downwardly from the top with a suitable scale 32 reading in inches or the like and the front center panel I2 is similarly calibrated asindicated at 34. A flap 36 extends from the upper end of the panel I2 and is marked with an extension of the scale 34. The scale 34 is calibrated from the top down and reads in terms of the horizontal projection of the distance from -the nape of the neck around one side thereof and straight down so that both scales 32 and 34 read from the same reference point. Each of the side panels is provided adjacent its inner edge with horizontally reading scales 38 calibrated in inches or the like.

The two rear side panels 8 and I are formed with extending portions 40 adapted to overlie the shoulders of a person to be fitted and have a series of equally spaced graduation lines 42 radiating fro-m the fasteners 26. The lines 42 may be marked with any desired graduation marks and are shown marked with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. The front side panels Ill and I6 are formed with similar extending portions 44 adapted to overlap the portions 40 and are marked with radial graduations passing through the fasteners 36 an-d marked with the letters A to R and with arcuate graduations struck about the fasteners 3i) and reading in inches.

In order to fasten the device upon a person to be tted in a correct position, a flexible cord or the Y like 46 is secured at its center portion to the top".Y

of the back center panel 6 and is passed through loops on the back of the tabs 24.

To use the device, the operator rst measures the Width of the persons neck from side to side at the base of the neck with calipers or the like and adjusts the several side panels to the respective center panels accordingly by means of the clamp means i8, 2E), 22. I have found that an adjustment which will accommodate neck Widths ranging from about 31/2 inches to 6 inches will be suicient for all ordinary purposes. The cord 46 is then passed around the perscns neck from the back with the center of the panel 6 at the center of the neck, is crossed in front and passed back under the arm pits to be tied in back. When the cord is fastened in this manner it follows the line of the base or the neck from the back at least half of the way around to the front and holds the top edge of the back sheet at the line of the base of the neck as indicated in Figure 2.

If the clamps I8, 2c, 22 have been properly adjusted the fasteners 25 will lie at opposite sides of the neck on the base line thereof and directly above the Vcenters of the shoulders. The front sheet may then be secured to the back sheet by connecting the fasteners S to the fasteners 26 with the projecting portions 44 overlapping the portions GG over the shoulders as best seen in Figures 2 and 3.

In order to measure the slope and angularity of the shoulders the extending portions lil and M are drawn smoothly over the shoulders with the portions M overlapping the portions il!! as best seen in Figure 2. The reading of the A line or upper edge of the portions M on the radial calibrations l2 indicates the slope of the shoulder, it being noted that the reading on each shoulder is entirely independent of that on the other.

These readings may be recorded as, for eX- ample, ll in the case shown. The length and angle of the shoulders is measured by noting the point at which the peak of the shoulder falls on the scales on the portions M. Such a reading might, for example, be M5 inches indicating that the angle of the shoulder is such as to lie along the line M and that its width from the base of the neck to shoulder peak is 5 inches. The circumference of the chest and waist are preferably obtained by a tape measure and the location of the waist line can be obtained by placing a belt around the waist and noting the distance thereof from thernape of the neck on the scales 32 and Sil on the panels l and I2. The desired length of the garment is also noted on the scales 32 and 34 by measuring up from the floor. The point to which the top of the neck line is to come may each of the panels 8 and lll.

be measured on the scale 34 or, if desired, the base line of the neck in front may be located on this scale for the addition of a standard collar.

In the case of a person having a pronounced dip in his soulders, it is necessary to measure the depth of the dip in order to obtain a good t and for this purpose there is provided a flexible tape measure or the like rsecured at one end to The tape measures 58 read on reference marks A, B or C on the panels Irl and H thereby indicating not only the distance across the shoulders but also the places at which Y the low points lie, the latter Vbeing indicated by noting which one of the reference marks A, B or C the tape falls on as it is drawn across the low point in the shoulder. This Varrangement is also useful to measure shoulders which bow upwardly, which are extremely thick, or which are otherwise of unusual shape.

After the measurements have been taken as indicated above a basic pattern may be laid out as indicated in Figure 4. In laying out the pattern either the original device may be used or a suitable replica thereof on thin cardboard which can be punched through. Tissue or the like as generally used for patterns may be employed and the back side panel I0 is laid thereon with the inner straight edge thereof` parallel to the edge of the tissue. The edge of the tissue lies along the center line of the back and may coincide with the edge of the panel Hl in cases in which the edges of panels 8 and l0 were drawn completely together during measurement or may be spaced outwardly therefrom an amount equal to the distance the center panel was set over by means of the clamps I8, 2U, 22 in other cases.

With the panel ID in place on the tissue, the desired fraction of the chest and waist measurements plus any desired factor to give freedom of s movement may be laid out as indicated at C and W respectively and the line B maybe drawn to indicate the position of the side seam. When it is intended that the side seam shall lie at the center of the side the chest and waist measurements plus any desired allowance forfreedom would be divided by four to obtain the values of C and W but Where the side seam is to be placed either to the front or vto the rear of center an unequal division would be made. if both chest and waist measurements plus allowances were 36 and the side seam were to be one-half inch back of center, the total back width would be 17" which would be divided evenly between the two sides of the back to make both indicated C and W measurements 8%". Similarly the front would total 19 to make the front C and W measurements 91/2 as will appear hereinafter.

The panel I6 is then placed on the tissue with the fastener 30 snapped to the fastener I6, or pinned in case of a paper replica, and is swung around until the A line at the upper edge thereof lies on the indicated oneof the lines 42, line 4 in the example shown. This lixes the angle between the edges of the panels I0 and I6 and insures a proper fit over the shoulder. The chest and waist measurements may then be laid out for the front as indicated at C' and W and the line F may be drawn. The peak of the shoulder is quickly vand accurately located by marking the point on the scales on panel i6 at which it was noted to come,y 5M in the example described. A standard arm scye .is then laid out as indicated by the dotted line vE passing through the .point l 5M and terminating at kthe lines B and F.

This completes a basic pattern for one side and the pattern for the other side may be laidV out similarly by using the panels 8 and I4 or suitable replicas thereof. In cases where the tape 48 is used, itis drawn across the one of the marks A, B or C on Vwhich it was originally read and any discrepancy in reading is com pensated'for by curvingthe shoulder seamcqually on both sides or all on one side as desired.

Having a basicy pattern laid out as described, the cloth can be cut therefrom according .to the design of the garment -it'is desired to make. Thus due allowance may be made for pleats, tucks or the like and the neckband can be cut to any style as will be understood by those skiuedfin the art.

While only one embodiment of `the invention has been shown and described it will lbe understood that'many changes might be made ltherein For example,

and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the exact form shown or otherwise than by the terms o the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A garment fitting device comprising a sheet of flexible material having calibrations thereon and a flexible tension element secured to the upper portion of the sheet and adapted to pass around the neck and under the arms of a person to be tted to secure the sheet thereto in predetermined relationship.

2. In a garment fitting device, a sheet of flexible material adapted to overlie the back of a person to be fitted, said sheet being formed of a center panel and side panels, means for adjustably connecting said panels together, and a flexible cord secured to the top portion of the center panel and adapted to pass around the persons neck and under his arms to support said sheet with the top of the center panel at the nape of the persons neck.

3. In a garment tting device, a sheet of flexible material adapted to overlie the front of a person to be fitted, said sheet being formed of a center panel and side panels, means for adjustably connecting said panels together to adjust the sheet to persons of diierent sizes, and means to support the side panels at the sides of the persons neck said side panels having extending portions adapted to overlap on the persons shoulders.

4. A garment fitting device comprising a pair of flexible sheets adapted to overlie opposite sides of a person to be fitted, means to secure said sheets together at the side of the persons neck, and extensions on said sheets to overlap on the persons shoulders and bearing indicia to measure the angularity thereof.

5. A garment fitting device comprising a pair of flexible sheets adapted to overlie opposite sides of a person to be fitted, means to secure said sheets together at the sides of the persons neck, extensions on said sheets to overlap on the persons shoulders and bearing indicia to measure the angularity thereof, and a flexible measuring device secured to one of said sheets to pass over the persons shoulder and read on a xed reference point on the other sheet.

6. A garment fitting device comprising a pair of flexible sheets adapted to overlie opposite sides of a person to be tted, said sheets each being formed of panels and having adjustable means to secure the panels together to adjust them to different neck sizes, and means to secure the sheets to each other at opposite sides of the persons neck, said sheets including extending portions adapted to overlap on the persons shoulders.

7. A garment iitting device comprising a pair of flexible sheets adapted to overlie opposite sides of a person to be tted, said sheets each being formed of a central panel and side panels, adjustable means to connect the side panels to the central panels respectively to adjust the sheets to different neck sizes, and means to secure adjacent side panels together at opposite sides of the persons neck, said side panels having extending portions adapted to overlap on the persons shoulders to measure the angularity thereof.

8. A garment tting device comprising a back sheet having a central panel and two side panels, adjustable means for securing the side panels to the central panel, means to secure said sheet to a person to be fitted with the upper part of the central panel at the nape of the persons neck, a front sheet having a central panel and two side panels, adjustable means for securing the side panels to the central panel, and means for securing the side panels of the iront sheet directly to the side panels of the rear sheet at opposite sides of the p'ersons neck to support the front sheet.

9. A garment fitting device comprising a back sheet having a central panel and two side panels, adjustable means for securing the side panels to the central panel, means to secure said sheet to a person to be tted with the upper part of the central panel at the nape of the persons neck, a front sheet having a central panel and two side panels, adjustable means for securing the side panels to the central panel, and means for securing the side panels of the front sheet to the side panels of the rear sheet at opposite sides of the persons neck, said side panels including extending portions adapted to overlap on the persons shoulders to measure the angularity thereof.

RAY C. WELCH. 

